


~When Phantom Meets Investigation Boy~

by 1InSaNeAnGeL



Series: ~A Phantom's Future, Always Different~ [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Cute Kids, Happy Ending, M/M, Married Couple, Original Character(s), Post-Persona 3, Post-Persona 4: Golden, Post-Persona 5: The Royal, Some characters Mentioned but not Seen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:53:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27126802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1InSaNeAnGeL/pseuds/1InSaNeAnGeL
Summary: ~One Kurusu Akira/Amamiya Ren/Persona 5 Protagonist's life with different spouses, different outlooks and different futures.~
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Narukami Yu, Kurusu Akira/Seta Souji, Persona 4 Protagonist/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: ~A Phantom's Future, Always Different~ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979995
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	~When Phantom Meets Investigation Boy~

“Happy birthday, baby!”

“Papa,” One Kurusu-Narukami Luka turned punch pink around the cheeks as his dad and papa came bursting into his room with balloons and a large cake, the familiar “Happy birthday to you!” jingle playing away on his dad’s cell phone. His whine was drowned out by all the cheering, the cake in the shape of a heart. “It’s too early for this!”

“It’s never too early to celebrate! Today, exactly seventeen years ago you were born and made our lives ten times better than they were before,” Kurusu-Narukami Yu proclaimed with glee, kissing his teenage son’s cheek. “You were born on March 18th at 3:14 A.M., 3.5 kg and 50 cm.”

“You remember that?” Luka asked, raising a thin eyebrow. His expression read embarrassment sure, his parents were singing “Happy Birthday” to him at 12:05 A.M. which meant that sooner or later they might get complaints from the neighbors about the noise, but his smile couldn’t be contained for too long.

Kurusu-Narukami Yu and his husband of twenty-two years Kurusu-Narukami Akira have always been this way. A little loud, kind of cheesy and silly, and a whole lot of parenting. To say that their son Luka was the apple of their eye was an understatement.

Kurusu-Narukami Luka was their whole world, and it showed with just how they raised him. They didn’t coddle or shelter him from the cold harshness of reality, but they took any potential harm to their child very seriously.

Maybe it was because Luka was their only child, their one and only son. Maybe it was due to their own shaky upbringings, with Akira’s adoptive parents disowning him at seventeen and Yu’s constantly in and out of their son’s life due to the demands of work. Maybe it was both or a combination of other reasons Luka himself was unaware of; whatever the case was though, Yu and Akira, while passionate about their careers, enjoyed their jobs as parents first and foremost.

“Of course we do,” Akira replied, answering his son’s inquiry with a smile. “Parents don’t forget important milestones like that, plus we have it on video.”

“You guys recorded my birth?” Luka sweat dropped, his long mane of hair kind of a mess from having his head tucked under his pillows. His hair, naturally wild and silky and snow-white, was temporarily a deep lapis hue from a dye job his uncle Ryuji helped him with a few days ago. “Wasn’t it really late though?”

“We waited nine months to meet you, Lulu,” Yu said with a shake of his head, pewter gray eyes shining. “A couple more hours weren’t going to do us in.”

“It was worth it,” Akira agreed, meeting Luka’s gaze. The raven remembered how happy Yu was to see that Luka had inherited the famous Kurusu gunmetal gray eyes, though they were much larger and, in Akira’s opinion, much prettier than his own. He giggled when Luka blushed again. “When you opened your eyes, you didn’t cry by the way. That’s how we knew you were your father’s child.”

“Oh yeah, because Dad’s always cool under pressure.” Luka laughed, looking at Yu.

“Except when you were born; I fainted shortly afterwards,” Yu admitted this with a straight face, brushing back his silver bangs. Luka stared.

“You fainted? Why?”

“Because too much pretty in one place can be lethal, Lulu. Luckily I only passed out, or I’d be missing out today.”

Yeah, Luka can definitely attribute his soft-spoken-ness and gentle heart to both his dad and papa. It was hard to believe these two were such badass Wild Card wielders back in the day.

“Dad! You’re so embarrassing.”

“I’m a dad, it’s in my job description.”

“Maybe this cake will make up for it? It’s your favorite, Lulu.” Akira smiled, carefully setting the plate on Luka’s lap while Yu readied his phone to take pictures.

The cake was in the shape of a heart, Japanese strawberry shortcake with tons of blue and green roses made of frosting. “Happy Birthday, Luka!” was written in blue and green yummy letters, along with seventeen candles waiting to be lit. Anyone could tell from the rich aroma that Yu and Akira had spent hours getting this cake just right, and it was delicious from the sheer dedication and love poured into it alone.

“Wow...thanks, guys!” Luka’s gray gaze grew a bit watery, glad for once he wasn’t wearing his glasses. All the building up moisture would no doubt send them into the cake. “I, I don’t know what else to say, haha!”

“Well, you can think of a wish and blow out your candles.” Yu suggested with a soft grin, pulling out his lighter. “Your party later today is for you and your friends, we wanted first dibs on wishing you ‘Happy Birthday’ though. That and presents.”

“You guys didn’t have to get me anything though.” Luka frowned, looking from Akira and Yu back to his birthday cake. “I do have a job, I make my own money so I can help out with the bills.”

“We know, and we appreciate you stepping up with that and chores around the house,” Akira said, sitting next to Luka on the bed. “That being said, it’s your special day. We wanted to, and I think you’re going to like your presents.”

“So take a deep breath, make a wish and blow out these candles,” Yu lit all seventeen with a flick of his wrist almost, switching off his lighter and putting it back in his pocket. “Aki, mind giving us a few bars?”

“But you just played ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.”

“We didn’t sing it! Hit it, honey!”

Luka was glad his bangs were growing out to hide his flustered expression as Akira and Yu broke into song, smiles galore and their arms soon around their son. He allowed them to sway him slightly back and forth in time with their singing, only raising his head when they finished. He eyed them with narrowed eyes before he blew out all the candles, resembling a tomato when his parents cheered and threatened to smother him with kisses.

“Our baby boy’s seventeen! He’s our little man now!”

“We love you so much, Lulu! You’re going to have a great day today!”

‘My parents are embarrassing…!’ Luka thought, his smile so tiny and so, so shy.

* * *

“Lu, hey!”

“Morning, girls.” Luka greeted with a warm smile, shutting his locker once he found the books he was looking for. He shared high-fives with two girls who couldn’t look anymore different even if they tried. “Fun weekend?”

“Was for me!” Sakamoto Ryuko exclaimed with glee, showing off straight, pearly teeth as she laughed. “Dad and me went to the beach, and you guys know it’s been years since we’ve gone! We ate hot dogs and s’mores, went shopping and I beat him in a race! Me, beat him! So the student finally surpasses the master!”

Sakamoto Ryuko has been Luka’s best friend since they were both in diapers. They were practically cousins, as her father Ryuji and Luka’s father Akira were like brothers since high school. Ryuko was a spitting image of her father: Lanky with smooth, lightly tanned skin and tawny brown eyes. Her hair was naturally black like Ryuji’s, though like Ryuji dyed it on a regular basis. Unlike his signature bleached blond though, Ryuko’s was this neon pumpkin hue and shaved on one side. Her hairdo was the most striking feature she possessed, apart from the faint freckles dotting her nose and the noticeable slash in her right eyebrow.

She didn’t wear the traditional white button-up shirt under her school blazer, preferring a rainbow tank top with a large cartoon crown across her chest. She was on the track team, no surprise there, worked part time at her dad’s favorite ramen shop and played in a garage band she, Luka, and Saki started back in middle school as the lead guitarist.

Ryuko’s name also meant “Dragon and tiger”, very fitting.

“You meant to say ‘Dad and I’,” Hanamura Saki correctly politely, clutching her bag with both hands. She then smiled, “And my weekend was fun too. Daddy and I went to the movies with Auntie Chie for that Kung-Fu double feature, then we got ice cream afterwards. Oh, and on Sunday Uncle Kanji taught me how to crochet! I can’t wait to start making little dolls to give to everyone.”

Hanamura Saki met Kurusu-Narukami Luka and Sakamoto Ryuko when she was five and they were six and seven respectively. She was Luka’s cousin as well, he cared about her as much as he did Ryuko, but since she lived in Inaba prior they only hung out during the summer. When the trio started elementary school, Saki admitted that she and her father, Hanamura Yosuke, were moving permanently to Tokyo. They still went back to Inaba for Christmas to see Auntie Chie and Uncle Kanji, Uncle Teddi and the others and to see Saki’s paternal grandparents. Yosuke and Yu have been friends for years, much like Ryuji and Akira, so it only made sense to raise their kids together.

Never once making small the fact that Yosuke and Ryuji were single fathers, raising their beautiful and intelligent daughters with the help of their friends and closest family. Saki worked alongside her father at the largest Junes Department store in Tokyo, her areas of expertise being the electronics and groceries sections.

Saki took a lot from her father much like Ryuko, as she was rather slender but not petite. Her skin was smooth and a darker tan thanks to many hot afternoons helping out in the food court, and inherited Yosuke’s cinnamon brown eyes. Her hair, however, was the color of bronze and extremely curly, and under the school lights looked darker than normal. She kept her hair up in a low ponytail at all times, and only recently has dyed her tips hot pink after much encouragement from her cousins.

Saki wasn’t as bold as the likes of Luka and Ryuko, though she was the one who did keep them out of trouble most of the time. She worked part time at Junes’, was on their school’s fencing team as co-captain, part of the art club, and was the lead singer in her, Ryuko, and Luka’s punk rock/metal band.

Saki’s name meant “Blossom and hope”, and came from Konishi Saki. It was Yosuke’s way of honoring his deceased friend who was cut down prematurely within the Midnight Channel.

Kind of interesting, those names and their meanings. Luka’s name meant “Light or bringer of light”, and wasn’t of Japanese origin like that of his cousins.

“Blossom and hope”, “Dragon and tiger”, and “Light or bringer of light”; did Akira, Yosuke, Yu, and Ryuji talk their kids’ names out beforehand? 

Or was the universe weird that way?

“Haha, you guys did a lot,” Luka commented as the girls locked their arms with him. “I just stayed home and read all day, well and helped Papa with dinner. Dad had to work late Saturday, but Sunday we went to the lake for a swim.”

“You and your books,” Ryuko shook her head fondly, resting her head on Luka’s shoulder. “I swear, next time we go to Uncle Teddi’s for Christmas I’m stashing all your books in the chimney. You read too much.”

“I think we’re going to spend the first week with Auntie Ann and Uncle Yusuke,” Saki racked her brain, trying to remember. “Then we go to Uncle Teddi’s. Hmm, maybe I can make him some new decorations for the tree. They’re a little worn out now.”

“He’s had them since before we were even born,” Luka agreed, looking back at Ryuko. “And if you do and they burn up, you’re buying me new ones plus doing my laundry for a whole week! You know how long it took me to get volumes one through four of  _ Parasyte _ ? Forever!”

“I don’t know how you can read that stuff, Lulu,” Saki said, her nose pinched upwards. “It’s nightmare fuel!”

“Auntie Haru got me into it.” Luka said with a shrug.

“You two need help,” Ryuko put her two cents in, eyes wide. Luka grinned.

“Don’t we all?! Are we meeting up for practice today?”

Both girls nodded. “I did all my week’s worth of chores before Dad and me went to the beach.” Ryuko said.

“And Daddy said I can pick up extra shifts this Thursday and Friday,” Saki added, “So I’m good to go! We said we’d talk about changing the band name after school today too, right?”

“Yep,” Luka popped his p, a few locks of temporarily dyed lapis blue hair peeking out from under his jacket hood. He always wore a light jacket or sweater under his school blazer, as he got cold rather easily. “New year, new name.”

Ryuko snorted. “More like new year, new name in ten years. Claws Out doesn’t feel so very punk rock-y anymore.”

“Not since we were in middle school,” Saki nodded. “Hmm, maybe something like Dark Hearts?”

“Sounds like a cult.” Ryuko deadpanned. “We want fans, not fanatics.”

“You picked out Claws Out, remember?” Luka asked. Ryuko punched him in the arm.

“You and Saki liked it back then, get off my back.”

“Chill, Ry,” Saki said with a sweet smile. “Claws Out was pretty awesome for its time, we’re just updating it is all. Hmmm...maybe Fangs can be in the new name?”

“Fangs!” Ryuko’s smirk was back. “I totally want to get fangs when I’m older, especially snake fangs.”

“Your dad’s going to let you get fangs? I thought he was iffy on body modifications.”

“He let me pierce my ears.”

“Those are your ears,” Saki pointed out, “Not your tongue or eyebrows. And fangs are permanent; it might make it hard for you to secure a job once you graduate.”

“Everyone eats ramen so my gig will still have business, and I have Junes.” Ryuko replied. Saki sighed.

“You’ll always have a job at Junes.” She agreed with a soft giggle. This was true, as Luka and Ryuko have worked a few summers with Uncle Yosuke as their manager. The pay was decent and they got to eat for free at the food court.

“Plus, I don’t want to go to university.” Ryuko said with an eye roll. “I want to make my own way, you know? And I don’t like the idea of leaving Dad alone.”

“I’m sure all he wants is for you to follow your dreams, Ryuko.” Luka said softly, gently squeezing her shoulder. “And you can easily score a scholarship or two, Saki and I will help. Just because you think you can’t afford it doesn’t mean you can’t period.”

“I’m a little scared about moving out too,” Saki said with a nod. “I’ve never been away from home before, and while I could stay...I’d like to see what it’s like to live in a dorm, eat school cafeteria food and maybe join a few clubs. I promised Dad I’ll visit every other weekend though, I can easily pick you up and we can do dinner for four whenever.” She beamed at the stunned orange-haired girl. “Dinner and movies, maybe even a sleepover!”

“Really? You guys would do that for me?”

“We’re family, Ry.” Luka said, smiling at Saki and then at her. “It’s what we do for each other. We’re a team, a band, whatever you want to call it but we’re endgame. I can help you prep for your entrance exams, look up scholarship opportunities.”

“And I can pick you up whenever you feel a little homesick, we’ll make a day out of it. We need to get our dads out there too, you know? And when they strike out, we’ll buy them ice cream or cake to cheer them up!” Saki added.

“You guys suck...but I love you,” Ryuko coughed lightly, frowning with burning cheeks. “Thanks, I really needed that.”

“You’re welcome!” Luka and Saki chirped in unison.

“Now enough of this mushy, lovey dovey shit.” Ryuko had her father’s tongue too, wow. “I don’t want to be late again; Daichi-senpai is one pain in the ass when it comes to attendance. I’m not staying after school to write ‘I should get to class on time.’ fifty times on a stupid chalkboard. Again.”

* * *

“Own your fashion sense, Lulu.” One Satonaka Chie cheered proudly as she waited outside the dressing room. “You are unique and beautiful! Don’t be afraid to show it.”

“I don’t know, Auntie Chie.” Luka sounded so unsure behind the door, sighing heavily. “What if people make fun of me? I already get picked on for looking like a girl sometimes…” He poked his head out, the lapis blue dye having faded a bit since application.

Chie took a few minutes to look at her only, so far, nephew with giddy coffee brown eyes. Her smile was motherly and warm, arms folded over her lap.

Kurusu-Narukami Luka was beautiful, and she can get away with stating this despite being his aunt. He might be only Akira’s biologically, but she can see some Yu in him too. He had the same heart-shaped face as Akira, and his naturally white hair was just as unruly and wild. It was silky to the touch, and Luka had inherited the famous, or infamous, Kurusu gunmetal gray eyes; Yu was over the moon when he saw those pretty eyes blink open for the first time, unable to keep his tears in. His skin was warmer though, could be considered several shades darker than his more fairer papa. That was a good thing honestly, or the poor boy would have been washed out terribly. He was thin and lanky with some muscle thanks to swimming, almost as tall as Yu himself and he was tall.

Chie’s nephew Luka was handsome, beautiful.

And he was just as handsome, beautiful when he painted his nails different colors, though he normally went with black. He was just as handsome, beautiful when he dyed his hair “crazy” colors like lapis blue or jade green. He was just as handsome, beautiful when he put eyeliner along with purple eyeshadow and pink lip gloss. He was just as handsome, beautiful when he wore a thin-strapped, simple blue dress under one of his many jackets with his favorite pair of red sneakers.

When he wore dangling, feather earrings or shiny, square studs; when he tucked all of his hair under his jacket hood or put it up in a ponytail; when he went swimming in purple swim trunks or a red long skirt, Kurusu-Narukami Luka was handsome, beautiful. Yu and Akira allowed their son to express himself however he chose, within reason of course, and they were proud that he was unique. He was a good student, a good kid with musical talent and a lot of dreams.

He might be in a world, in a culture that still struggles with intolerance but it won’t get away with harming his self-confidence. Not on Chie’s watch!

“Lulu, do you think when people call you pretty it’s an insult?”

“Nani? N-no, well not always,” Luka said, fingers dancing against the door. “I’ve been called pretty by some of the customers that come for my papa’s coffee and curry; some of them were girls, boys, and some I know from school.”

“Do you think they mean it meanly?”

“No, I can usually tell by their heart song. They were being honest.”

“Do you like dressing like you do?” Chie asked another question, crossing her legs. She was wearing shorts under her skirt, so she can get away with this.

Luka was quiet for a few minutes before nodding. “Yeah, I do. I might be a little different, but it doesn’t really do anything. I still get good grades in school, I still do my chores around the house. I like wearing what I want; Dad and Papa have never stopped me when it came to experimenting, as long as I was safe. When I told Dad I wanted to dye my hair, he took me shopping and we checked out so many colors. It was so cool, how okay with it he was. And when I asked Papa for earrings he didn’t freak, he called Auntie Ann and Auntie Fuuka so I could get a bunch of different opinions on different styles.” Luka’s gunmetal gray eyes softened, a tiny smile playing with his lips. “Sometimes I’m told I’m just as pretty as Ry or Saki, but when I wear a suit or jeans and a t-shirt I feel just as badass. I like makeup and swimming, sometimes I like my hair back or loose. Oh, I even told my dad that I want to dye my hair like his once this blue fades out!”

Chie grinned at hearing the strength coming back to Luka’s voice. “See? You like what you wear, so what if some people have mean things to say? Everyone will always have a problem with you, Lulu. Over how smart you are, how cute, how hardworking; it’s not possible to please everyone, and it’s not fun trying. What matters is that you’re happy with yourself. If you like who you are, there will be others too. I think some of those mean kids are just jealous. They wish they were just as confident and cool. They wish they were as comfortable in their own skin as you are!”

“You really think so?”

Chie got to her feet and hugged Luka tightly, kissing the top of his head. “I know so, and you know what they say!”

“Auntie Chie is always right, even when she’s wrong she’s right.” Luka seemed to quote with a laugh, pulling away to meet her kind coffee brown eyes. “Thanks, Auntie. I’m going to finish trying out outfits now!”

“Perfect! And I’m taking pictures so your parents see how cute you are!” Chie exclaimed with red cheeks, clapping her hands together under her chin.

“Auntie!”

* * *

“So Auntie, what do you think?” Luka asked as he stepped out of the dressing room, smiling from ear to ear.

Chie looked up from a magazine she had picked up at random to browse while waiting, her face splitting in two from a large grin.

Luka was wearing his hair up, though a few lapis bangs, with a little bit of his natural white peeking through, framed his heart-shaped face. His gunmetal gray eyes were emphasized thanks to the thick eyeliner, along with the light gray eyeshadow. His lips were lightly brushed with pink gloss, and his cheeks had a faint hint of rouge blush. He had traded his off-the-shoulders dark blue shirt for a simple black tank top with a green skull across the chest, and a mesh shirt like the one his auntie Ann owned. On his right wrist were several multi-color bracelets, and he was still sporting the silver ring he got from Rise for Christmas. His nails were still black, he swapped his simple black studs for green feather earrings; his dark blue jeans were ripped at the knees and his socks were black with tiny green skulls. To finish off the look he had a simple purple choker around his neck; he did a quick bow for his aunt with a laugh, standing all and proud. “Does this look work or-” The teenage boy was cut off by the sound of a camera going crazy, clicking and clicking only getting louder and louder. “A-Auntie Chie?!”

“You are so cute! It’s not fair, how do I have the most adorable nephew in the whole wide world?! I’m so making this one my screensaver! Or this one, maybe this one!”

“Auntie!”

* * *

“Cute boy in sight!” Ryuko declared once during lunch, pointing across the courtyard.

“Ryuko, it’s rude to point.” Saki hissed, though she did steal a peek of said fine specimen over the top of her book.

The boy in question was nameless but indeed cute, and judging from the number on his blazer was in their grade. He was a fresh, new face; a transfer student that didn’t share any classes with the girls, sadly, with shoulder-length hair the color of cobalt sea glass and very, very, very bright cherry eyes. Though maybe his hair was dyed, as Ryuko’s sharp eye noticed his roots were more golden blond or even white. He was wearing the Shujin Academy uniform apart from the blazer, it draped over his lap for some reason. He had a working fringe going on, as when he tilted his head to the side only more fiery locks threatened to swallow his left eye whole.

He was kind of short, compared to Saki but slender, his gaze on a page of what looked like a sketchbook while wearing dark pink clip-on headphones.

“I wonder what’s his name.” Ryuko mused out loud, wiping her mouth. “I heard we got a transfer student and all, but wow he’s cute.”

“Wait, didn’t Luka say there’s a new kid in his class?” Saki asked, eyes widening. “Maybe it’s him! We rarely get new students here, especially so close to exams.”

“You’re right, Kiki,” Ryuko agreed with a smirk. “If anyone knows more about him, it’s Luka.”

Their cousin was more of an observer than anything else, always paying close attention to detail and his surroundings. Luka only spoke up when he felt like it, and usually it was something either insightful or comical.

It runs in the Kurusu-Narukami bloodline.

“Wait, where is Luka…?” It soon dawned on Saki that their favorite boy wasn’t with them yet, which was strange. Luka was usually on time, usually waiting for Saki and Ryuko to show up so they could eat together.

Ryuko blinked, then her jaw dropped as the realization sunk in. She looked around the courtyard, her pumpkin orange hair seeming to shimmer under the sun. “Holy shit you’re right, Saki. Where is he? He always beats us outside for lunch.” She stood up and brushed off her skirt, hands on her hips. “And there’s no way we didn’t see him, not with his hair like it is right now.”

Saki folded a hand under her chin. “Maybe he stayed behind to help clean up? You know he always volunteers to help clean up the science room after labs are done, a reason why Misa-senpai adores him so much.”

“Don’t remind me, she’s a bitch.” Ryuko grumbled, “But you’re right, Luka’s too nice so maybe she roped him into cleaning out beakers or putting up chairs.”

“Why do you not like Misa-senpai again?” Saki asked.

“Because she tells Lulu all the time I’m a ‘bad influence’ and that he should steer clear of me.”

Similar to what was said to Luka’s father Akira when he was becoming friends with Ryuji.

Some things just don’t change.

“She says that to him too?”

Ryuko snapped her head in Saki’s direction, “She tells you that too?!”

“Ry, Kiki! Sorry I’m late,” both girls turned to see Luka jogging towards them, his smile apologetic. “I forgot to get some books out of my locker and I didn’t think to text you guys, I’m sorry!”

“You mean you didn’t have to listen to Misa-senpai say I’m a bad influence?” Ryuko grabbed Luka’s hands as she asked this. Luka raised a slender brow.

“She says so all the time, doesn’t mean I’ll listen. You’re my cousin, Ryuko. Like I’m going anywhere.”

The orange-haired girl couldn’t resist smiling only to remember what she and her other cousin wanted to know. “Hey Lulu, do you know that guy?” She grabbed the gray-eyed boy by the shoulders and spun him around on his heels, pointing to the boy with red eyes. “He doesn’t have class with me or Saki, but I know he’s a transfer student and in our grade so…”

“A-Arisato Theodore,” Luka got out...a little shakily, and his eyes were soon glued to the grass under his shoes. Ryuko tilted her head to the side, lightly punching his arm.

“Dude, what the hell? Is something wrong?” Ryuko soon glared, “Don’t tell me that asshole bullies you or something! Because if that’s the case, I’m ripping his head off!”

“Ryuko, don’t jump to conclusions so quickly!” Saki scolded, crossing her arms. “Maybe Luka hasn’t really talked to him much, you know he’s shy.”

“Duh of course I do, he’s my brother practically! But Luka also is the type of person that doesn’t speak up when being messed with; last time I didn’t do anything, he got a fucking black eye.”

“Ryuko, Uncle Ryuji says not to drop f-bombs!”

“Well Dad isn’t here, so get off my back!” Ryuko snapped back, only for Luka to slap his hands over her and Saki’s mouths.

“He’s not bullying me, he’s actually really nice,” Luka clarified, expression put off. “His name is Arisato Theodore, he’s in my classes, speaks very formally, and I’m pretty sure his hair is a white-blond but he dyes it. And his eyes are naturally red.”

“I knew it!” Ryuko exclaimed, after pulling Luka’s hand off her lips. “So he’s into dye, and wait if he’s not bullying you or giving you any kind of shit then why did you say his name as if he was Igor coming out of the mirror?”

“You shouldn’t insult Igor like that,” Saki sighed with a shake of her head, but her attention was back on Luka.

“Because he’s Arisato Theodore...he’s Arisato Minako’s son.” Luka said in a faint whisper, cheeks going a pale peach.

Saki and Ryuko gasped in unison. “He’s Arisato Minako’s son? Isn’t she Arisato Minato’s sister, the guy your papa was crazy about before he died suddenly?” Their voices mixed perfectly as they requested answers. Luka nodded.

“Yeah, Papa loved him so much and then...anyway, he and Minako were close friends and I knew she had a son but never thought they’d move to Tokyo.”

“Then Uncle Akira knows?” Saki frowned. “I know he’s moved on, and Minato-san may he rest in peace…”

“I’m sure he knows,” Ryuko argued, “No way she’d keep this a secret from him. Minako cared a lot about Uncle Akira.”

“Yeah, and that was before she found out Minato loved Papa back.” Luka had no issue talking about an old flame of his papa’s. He knew his papa loved his dad with all his heart and vice-versa, with Luka being evidence of this love. And with every story Papa told him concerning Minato, he always spoke fondly of him.

Yu spoke fondly of Minato as well, in particular about his selflessness and bravery. Whatever happened to him, Luka’s dad bore no ill will towards him. There was a reason Yu said once that, if he had gotten the chance to ask, he would have made Minato Luka’s godfather.

“So we got another cousin in town. Holy shit our family’s huge,” Ryuko remarked, laughing.

“Is he a cousin though?” Saki wondered, only to notice Luka staring at Theodore. The red-eyed boy was gathering his things, packing up his bag and removing his headphones. In that instant he locked eyes with Luka, expression unfathomable.

Luka tensed up in place, gunmetal gray eyes wide behind his glasses.

The eye contact remained unbroken for a few more minutes. And then Theodore smiled and waved at Luka.

Luka’s cheeks went from peach to carmine, and while he waved back he had to look away from Theodore with a shy smile. Saki blinked and looked from her cousin to the red-eyed boy, who was chuckling softly to himself as he headed for the library.

‘Did that just happened?’ Saki mused in her head, her own cheeks growing hot and a smile trying to pull at her lips. But she had to remain calm and collected on the outside; Luka was flustered enough as is, he didn’t need her squeals to make it worse and Ryuko was still talking completely unaware of what just transpired in front of her.

Runs in the Sakamoto bloodline apparently.

* * *

“Hey honey, how was school today?” Akira asked as Luka toed off his shoes and shrugged off his school blazer.

“It was okay, kind of boring,” Luka replied with a soft laugh, joining his papa in the kitchen. He pecked his cheek before sitting down at the counter, crossing his arms. “Ryuko was great at practice today though, Saki and I might take her out for ice cream this weekend to celebrate.”

Akira smiled. “My baby boy’s a gentleman.”

“Papa,” Luka’s whine was only half heated, a sign he wasn’t really annoyed. That and his broadening grin. Then a question that has been burning a hole in his skull came to him, causing the white-haired boy, because the lapis blue dye has finally faded out, to sit up a little straighter. “Hey Papa, how...how did you and Dad meet?”

Akira blinked, surprised by this inquiry. Though it wasn’t an unpleasant one. He finished up drying the dishes before taking off his apron and sitting across from Luka. His gray eyes were shining, expression soft. “Your dad and I met in a pretty normal way, for starters. I was working an afternoon shift at the flower shop.”

“You mean the one in the underground mall? Oh sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt!” Luka was quick to apologize, cheeks going pink when Akira merely chuckled and waved aside his son’s apology.

“The very same one, there’s a reason why Amaya-sama knows your favorite flower and brought you a bouquet for your birthday, sweetheart.” Amaya-sama was the name of the flower shop owner, and has maintained a strong friendship with Akira even after he graduated. He didn’t work for her anymore but visited from time to time for a nice chat and to take her out to lunch.

Luka has met her a couple of times, but he never figured Amaya-sama was his papa’s ex-boss.

‘She’s very sweet and pretty and nice, wait did I ever thank Amaya-sama for the Asagao?’ Luka’s frown deepened as he tried to recall. ‘They were so beautiful too, she clearly took her time preparing the bouquet. Maybe I should stop by one of these days to thank her in person, maybe even offer to run some errands for her or help out in the shop.’

“Your dad came in asking for something that could give his apartment a splash of color,” Akira resumed telling the story despite seeing his son deep in thought, not very worried. If Luka wanted to say something he will, if not that's fine too. Luka took after Yu in that aspect: usually quiet, to himself but always listening and observing.

He got that from Akira too, but the raven liked to credit this introverted nature more to Yu.

Except when Yu said something cheeky, and oddly endearing. That’s when Luka was Akira’s son and his alone; the married couple was already a mess when it came to cheesy jokes and puns, the least they can do is spare their son from that possible path.

Luka had a chance of being funny in an actual funny way. Akira and Yu were doomed, but not their baby boy!

“So was this Dad visiting Tokyo? Or had he already moved here from Inaba?” Luka’s attention was back on Akira, lightly swinging his legs back and forth under the counter.

“Already moved, he was still relatively new to the area and was renting a small apartment.” Akira snickered when Morgana was soon whining with his paws on the legs of Luka’s chair.

Someone wanted attention.

“Hey MoMo,” Luka’s grin was sweet and dotting as he carefully lifted the black cat into his arms, giving him soft scratches behind the ears. The feline’s sapphire blue eyes fluttered shut as he let out a loud purr, “How are you today?”

“Good now that someone’s paying attention to me!” Luka was around five years old when he found out Morgana could talk. At first he had gone along with it, the belief that his child brain was making up the feline’s voice so he had company because while Luka had Ryuko and Saki, he was still an only child. It could get lonely in the Kurusu-Narukami household sometimes, even if one or both parents were home.

As he got older though, Luka feared he was going crazy. Ordinary cats couldn’t talk, so why could Morgana? All he knew was that he was Papa’s cat from when he was a teenager, an old man Akira would jokingly say, and that he was Luka’s now. He was Luka’s best friend apart from Saki and Ryuko, who always had time to give the white-haired boy a cuddle or happy meow when he saw him.

It wasn’t until Luka was twelve and finally approached Akira and Yu about hearing Morgana talk that he was told the truth. The truth about Morgana being everything but an ordinary house cat. The truth about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, that they weren’t just Luka’s favorite childhood bedtime stories. The truth about the Investigation Team and the Velvet Room, about Igor and his attendants Elizabeth, Margaret, Theodore, and Lavenza.

How Kurusu-Narukami Luka was the son of two Wild Card wielders, individuals capable of possessing more than one Persona. And what Personas were, as Luka got to meet the likes of Arsene Lupin and Izanagi shortly after his thirteenth birthday.

Luka remembered that day well: how the imposing, towering creatures went from menacing and lingering, and leaving Luka trapped like a deer in headlights, to kind and gentle as they bowed before him and asked him questions like what his favorite color was, how old he was, what were his favorite school subjects. How Arsene complimented his eyes, as they were strikingly identical to his Master’s, and how Izanagi gently ruffled the white-haired boy’s hair with a soft yet booming laugh. How both swore to protect Luka from any and all possible threats until his own Persona awakened, if it ever had to.

Luka, still being a little kid at the time, didn’t understand all this talk about Awakenings and possible threats. He just found out he had more family, because Arsene and Izanagi count even if they were extensions of Papa and Dad, and he was excited about it. He found the Gentleman in Red funny, and listened to the Male-who-invites and his fantastical tales of past lives and impressive swordplay.

And this followed Morgana’s true identity revealed as a creature from the Metaverse who had more of a cartoonish appeal when the lines between the Metaverse and the real world were blurred. How he appeared as an ordinary cat but was far from such, how he possessed a Persona under the name Zorro, and how he helped Akira and his friends change corrupted hearts for the better when they were the Phantom Thieves. When all was said and done, Morgana chose to stay with Akira and resume his role as his cat in this world, experiencing Akira and Yu’s love story for himself and being one of the firsts to meet Luka.

How Morgana over time took on the role of Luka’s watchful guardian, much like how he did with Akira when he was a teenager. The feline didn’t always accompany Luka to school or social events, but he did tag along most outings and slept with Luka in his room. And over time Luka came to adore Morgana, providing sushi and scratches and cuddles, calling him “MoMo” and getting away with it because Morgana wouldn’t hurt the son of Kurusu-Narukami Akira. The two were thick as thieves, the irony, and can be usually found curled up together with a good book or video game in the afternoon.

Luka’s life had changed so drastically since discovering his family’s “heritage”, yet at the same time nothing really has changed.

He had the best parents in the world, he was happy at his school, for the most part, he had the best friends in the whole wide world, and the best cat in the world. Seems like the norm in this household.

“I always pay attention to you, MoMo. Sit with me while I listen to a love story worthy of an YA novel,” Luka teased his papa with a snicker, Morgana settling in his lap with his tail over his nose.

Akira blushed, “Please, how your dad got me is much more romantic than what you’ll find in YA novels. Especially nowadays; it’s true love, honey.”

“Tell me! Tell me, tell me, tell me already. I got to know,” Luka pleaded, accepting one of the plums Akira rinsed off in the sink.

The raven sunk his teeth into the paper-thin skin, pausing to hum in content as the juice made his taste buds sing. “As I was saying, he was relatively new to the area and was looking for flowers to add a splash of color to his apartment.”

“Yeah Yu’s place at the time, it was just browns and whites and yellows.” Morgana made a face, wrinkling his nose. “It needed more than just flowers to make it better, but hey your papa helped him pick out the right ones.”

“Which were?” Luka asked, wondering if maybe he inherited his love of flowers from Yu.

“Shobus, which represent good news, tidings, and loyalty,” Akira explained, looking at the vase in the center of the dining room table. Clusters of bluish-purple petals marked with stripes of soft yellow, held together with a simple pink ribbon.

While these weren’t the same flowers from Yu’s apartment obviously, every cluster happened to remind Akira of that tiny one bedroom, one bathroom and kitchen arrangement that he called his home after two-and-a-half years of dating. So much has changed in his and Yu’s life, yet a constant has always been clusters of Shobus.

If it wasn’t for that first cluster, everything going on right now might have gone a little different. Or might not have happened at all.

It was rather amazing.

Luka’s more subdued, yet sweet romantic side started to peek out; his smile turned dreamy, still petting Morgana. “Was it love at first sight?”

“No, oh no it wasn’t.” Akira said with a laugh, gently brushing the tips of his fingers along his wedding band. “Far from it actually, I mean I noticed your dad was cute but I didn’t fall for him right then and there.”

“What? Really?” Luka looked skeptical now, sitting up a bit straighter as Morgana decided to climb up his shoulder and roost like a crow. “From what Dad tells me, you were over the moon for him.”

“That was him. He was over the moon for me on the spot, love at first sight. I, on the other hand, took a long while to warm up to him. Your papa might have an easy time talking to people, usually,” Akira corrected himself slightly as Morgana let out a mocking hiss. “But when it came to romance, I was poorly prepared. I had a few rough patches, and your dad showed up right after my latest one.”

“My godfather?”

“No, luckily no. And I think even if that had been the case, your dad is the love of my life. No this one was different; it didn’t have the best start and had a pretty bad ending, I had to take some time to mend from it before I could really decide to start dating again.” Akira took another bite of his plum, wiping the juice dripping down Luka’s chin. “Baby, you always make a mess.”

“Meh, keep telling me the story.” Luka cared very little about making a mess of himself right now, more interested in finding out just how Dad and Papa ended up together.

Akira shook his head fondly, “You are your father’s child.” He mumbled before wiping his own chin. “I wasn’t ready to date when I met your dad, in fact I made that very clear on our first date.”

“So you told Dad you weren’t interested in dating yet on your first date? Blunt, I like it; how did he take it?”

“Like a gentleman. No seriously, he did. He knew I wasn’t ready and didn’t try to rush things. He said we didn’t have to call them ‘dates’, we can just say we’re hanging out. We were teenagers back then so it sounded alright.”

“Wait, you guys were teenagers when you met? Did you guys have me young??”

“Kind of? I was seventeen going on eighteen, he was twenty going on twenty-one. I was still in high school, he was going to university and had two part-time jobs. And we waited at least two years of dating before tying the knot.”

“Though they were talking about marriage months into their relationship,” Morgana added, shaking his head. “They were crazy about each other.”

“We still waited,” Akira pointed out, rolling his gunmetal gray eyes. “Two years before getting married, and then about four months before having you.”

Luka’s eyes threatened to pop out of his skull. “You guys had me when…” he paused to count on his fingers, “When you were twenty-two and Dad was twenty-four?”

“Roughly yeah, shortly after my twenty-second birthday.”

“Aww Lulu, you were the present!” Morgana teased, causing the poor boy to turn into a tomato and glare at him.

“MoMo! I don’t need that image in my head!”

“What? I’m just saying.”

“Let my child stay pure and innocent, Mona,” Akira said with a slightly raised brow, eyes narrowed. “He’s still just a baby.”

“Seventeen, not seven.” Luka reminded Akira.

“You can be seventeen, seven, or a hundred and seven; you will still be my baby.” Yep, Papa won with that one.

“Meh,” Was all Luka could muster up.

“The cutest baby your dad and I ever saw…!” Akira soon pinched Luka’s cheeks gently, making kissy faces as his son only grew more and more mortified.

“Papa! Not in front of MoMo, you don’t share a room with him!”

“Not anymore, he said he’d go blind if he did.” Akira said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Wait, what?”

“Shut it, Akira!” Morgana warned, tail swishing from side to side.

* * *

“He looks like you when you’re sleepy,” Kurusu-Narukami Yu said with a fond smile on his thin lips, one of his arms wrapped around Akira’s shoulders.

“Half drunk?” Akira asked with a soft laugh, once again kissing the warm bundle in his arms.

He and Yu were curled up on one of the couches in their living room. The T.V. was on low volume, playing the evening news. The two men were sharing a thick fleece blanket, propped up by a lot, and there were a lot, of dark red pillows. Akira nuzzled against Yu, head slightly tucked under his husband’s chin as they continued to watch Luka as he slept.

The little bundle of joy was fast asleep, one tiny and pale hand peeking out from under the blanket he was wrapped in. His gray eyes, gunmetal like his papa’s, were nowhere in sight, his pixie nose slightly red much like his cheeks. Tufts of snow white hair curled around petal-soft ears, a little foot twitched from time to time, and a drop of drool glistened against Luka’s round, squishy cheek.

“He’s perfect…” Yu whispered, his eyes feeling a little wet. He tried to hide them by pressing his face into Akira’s hair, tightening his hold on both him and Luka a bit. “I can’t believe he’s finally here.”

“Me either, haha,” Akira agreed, not bothering to hide or stop his own waterworks. He pressed yet another kiss to Luka’s nose; his smile broadened when his baby boy let out a yawn only to snuggle more into his papa’s chest, fingers holding on to the front of the raven’s sweater. “He’s pretty just like his daddy.”

Yu pulled away slightly so he could lock eyes with Akira. Pewter clashed wonderfully with gunmetal gray. Thin, strong fingers caressed the smooth, firm skin of Akira’s jaw, curling up to rest under his chin. “I love you. You know that, right?” The way he whispered this, it was carried well by the intimate atmosphere already surrounding them like a gentle cloud. Yu didn’t break eye contact even as he kissed the top of Luka’s head, chuckling quietly when their son, their beautiful and adorable son, cooed in his sleep.

“I know. I love you too,” Akira whispered back, smiling as their lips met. Luka let another coo; the raven laughed as Yu carefully supported Luka’s head. “We love you too.”

* * *

“You know, at first I was really scared about all of this.” Akira whispered so as not to wake up Luka. He tucked his son into bed and kissed the top of his head, watching as Luka cuddled against Morgana for warmth. The cat purred in his sleep, tail resting over his nose.

Both were happily in slumber land.

“You were?” Yu blinked, surprised by this admission. He plugged in the starry night light a few feet away and checked to make sure the window was locked before sitting next to his husband, careful to ensure the added weight didn’t jostle Luka awake.

Akira let out a weak laugh, brushing a few unruly curls out of his eyes. “It’s stupid, honey. Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not stupid to me, Aki.” The silver-haired man slipped his hand into Akira’s, giving the knuckles a faint squeeze. “In fact, it’s far from stupid. If something scared you then it was major, pretty big. And you don’t get scared easily; you were Joker, remember?”

Yu smiled when Akira’s laugh this time around was lighter, less somber. “I remember, it’s how I stole your heart and got saddled with marriage and a kid.”

“Well Kurusu Akira stole my heart first, let’s make that clear. Joker was cute, but he had nothing on my Aki.” Said raven met Yu’s pewter eyes, taking a few minutes to appreciate the man before him.

Once, Kurusu Akira firmly believed he couldn’t come to love Narukami Yu. Not because he was a terrible person; on the contrary, Yu was one of the sweetest, smartest, most kind and considerate people Akira’s ever met. Sure he can be a bit of pervert, and often too stubborn for his own good but his heart remained pure and selfless. Not once in their budding romance did Yu try to pressure Akira into a sexual relationship, not once did he make Akira feel guilty for being extra cautious with his heart this time around, and not once did Yu make Akira work extra hard to help their bond grow. It was all give-and-take with them. Sometimes one did more giving at one point, but both tried to be equals. On equal footing; Yu made it his mission, first and foremost, to ensure Akira’s self-confidence and esteem were sky high. Heartbreak can do a lot of damage, even if it’s below the skin.

Kurusu Akira was cheeky, reckless and a greedy flirt on the outside. But on the inside, on the inside he guarded his heart with a lock and key. A few have managed to get close, to crack the metal: Akechi Goro, Arisato Minato; those two were pretty big ones, and left behind a rather large hole unknowingly still bleeding despite the passage of time.

Yu was sure that if things had played out differently, Akira would have married Goro. Had a home of their own, children of their own. If not with Goro then with Minato, and the silver-haired man could see why. He could see why Akira fell in love with Minato; he could see why Akira fell in love with Goro, despite the sketchiness of the detective’s past and career.

Yu did not judge Akira over his previous relationships. The raven did no such thing with Yu himself, who in his teenage years had chased a lot of skirts and the occasional male model. Yu was no saint, and had lost his virginity long before he met his husband. And despite this knowledge, which Akira cared even less about than Yu but that’s not the point, the raven still chose Yu. Akira still wanted Yu, still fell in love with Yu. At his pace yes, but it still happened.

What was rather a romantic friendship at the start, with lots of innuendoes and private snuggles in Akira’s bed, over time turned into something more tangible. Their friendship was, but there had been an obvious shift in the dynamic at that point. The private snuggles became not so private, the lingering glances grew even longer, the kisses grew warmer and warmer, and the bond between them had been fortified.

As social links go, at one point they are much too strong to be broken or reversed.

Akira’s bond with Yu had reached that point.

The raven closed his eyes and recalled the day he realized this. For a few minutes, Akira was back in his seventeen-year-old body, back in the attic of Leblanc that served as his bedroom. He was laying in bed, still in his day clothes, looking off the page he had been reading to gaze at Yu. The silver-haired boy was reading as well though sitting up, legs hanging off the edge of the bed. Akira set his book down, sat up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Yu had caught this bit of movement out of the corner of his eye and paused in his own reading, asking if something was wrong. Only to blink and be caught off guard when Akira threw himself, literally, at the silver-haired boy causing Yu to fall backwards on the bed. There were barely words exchanged between them before Akira was kissing Yu deeply. The kiss varied differently from their usual; it was longer, not a peck like most would. Akira was cupping Yu’s face instead of curling his fingers into his shirt. And when he broke away, Akira allowed little space between their lips as they both took deep breaths.

Pewter and gunmetal gray didn’t look away from each other for what felt like hours.

And then, then Yu smiled and Akira smiled and they knew. They just knew.

“Aki? Aki, are you still there?” Akira opened his eyes and he was back in the present, a much older yet still handsome Yu smiling and lightly waving his hand in front of his husband’s face. “You spaced out there, wow Luka takes so much after you it’s freaking adorable.”

“He doesn’t space out as much as I do,” the raven countered, gently shoving Yu aside. The older man chuckled.

“No but when he does, he does the same wide eyes and cute little nose crinkle. I’m so happy he’s like you, he has a chance at life!” Yu said in an excited whisper.

“...You know, you might have said my worry wasn’t stupid but it was.” Akira admitted with a warm smile, wrapping his arms around Yu’s neck. “It was; I was being stupid because we’re doing great. As parents, we’re doing great. So what if mine disowned me? No one comes into this world knowing how to raise a child, not even if they go to school for it because school only prepares you so much. I thought that not knowing my birth parents, being disowned by my adoptive parents would make me unable to love Luka. To raise Luka and take care of him, remind him that he’s everything to us and that no matter what he has us. I thought that once,” Akira shook his head, but he was smiling still. “And it was a stupid thought. Because Luka’s five now and he’s doing great. He’s a good kid, brushes his teeth, does his homework and we taught him that. He is a good kid despite us knowing what the hell we were doing. And I learned some things from my parents so even if they did disown me...I had something to work with.”

“I thought the same, believe it or not. The first few months; I wondered if I could handle being a father, since my own were kind of in and out of my life most of the time. Every teenager’s fantasy I know,” Yu replied, resting his forehead against Akira’s. “I was scared that maybe I picked up my parents’ workaholic tendencies; that I would get caught up in trying not to be like them that I would anyway and end up leaving you and Luka alone. Cycles aren’t easy to break...but not impossible either. I love seeing Luka every morning. I love watching you two play in the backyard or gush over some T.V. show you’re now addicted to. I love seeing you help him out with his homework, and I love, I love, seeing you everyday. Hearing you laugh; seeing you smile; watching you cry before you straighten yourself up and keep going. It was a long road getting to where we are now, and I wouldn’t change a single thing.”

“Not one single thing?” Akira mused, slightly surprised by this. Yu kissed the raven sweetly, nuzzling their noses together afterwards.

“Not one single thing.”

“...I love you, Yu.” Akira hid his teary eyes away in Yu’s shoulder, closing said eyes as he felt the older man hug him closer.

“I love you too, Akira.” Yu whispered, the smile clear in his tone. “And you are a wonderful father. Never doubt that, never forget that.”

“With you? Ha, highly doubt that will come up again. Thank you. For everything…”

**Author's Note:**

> ~I do not own the Persona property, I am merely part of its fascinating fandom. I merely write these pieces to show my love and appreciation, as this video game series has become near and dear to my heart. That being said, all characters apart from the original creations serving as the children of the pairing(s) in this series of one-shots belong to Atlus. I can only dream of being as creative as this company that brought us such cool concepts and unforgettable faces.~


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